YouTube TV Review: Channels List, Plans, Cost, Launch Date & More

It’s a great time to be a cord cutter. Once upon a time if you gave up cable you just missed out. Now you sign up to a few key streaming services, save a bunch of money, and don’t miss a thing! It’s pretty awesome how many good services there are and how many are trying to jump into the ring. It’s getting to the point that before long cord cutters will have more options than cable users will. Now, there’s a new service out from the king of internet videos: YouTube. Read more about it in our YouTube TV review below.

Google has just recently (as of April, 2017) launched a TV streaming service through their YouTube platform. It’s called YouTube TV, and it was just recently launched in select cities. In this YouTube TV review, we will discuss what we know about the service, including the YouTube TV channels list, price, features, and more.

What is YouTube TV?

YouTube TV is a new live streaming service that will act as an alternative to cable TV. Subscribers will be able to stream many of their favorite channels without a cable TV contract. It works over the internet, bypassing the need for an expensive cable subscription.

YouTube TV will be similar to Sling TV, DIRECTV NOW and PlayStation Vue. For cord cutters, this means you shouldn’t have to sacrifice by living without cable. You should be able to get the majority of the channels you want at a fair and decent price.

What is the YouTube TV Channels List?

The YouTube TV channels list will give you many of your favorite cable channels without the need for cable or satellite TV. At this point in time, there is only one YouTube TV package available, and it’s priced at $35 per month (with no contract). You can also add on additional channels to your basic package.

What are the YouTube TV Features?

In a rapidly growing, competitive online streaming industry, Google knew that they had to offer something unique with YouTube TV in order to remain competitive. Well, while the service is quite young, it already offers some impressive features. Some key YouTube TV features include:

Live TV without Cable – watch many of your favorite TV shows, movies, sports, news and more from any channel on the YouTube TV channel lineup – all LIVE, without cable TV!

No contract – you’ll never have to commit, as you pay month-to-month and can cancel at any time.

Cloud DVR Feature – the YouTube TV DVR feature really goes above and beyond, offering unlimited storage for recorded content. You can record shows and other programs to watch on your own schedule, without worrying about storage limits.

Accounts for the Whole Family – with a single YouTube TV subscription, you can get up to 6 individual accounts and logins, each with their own DVR feature and library. This is limited to in-household, so you can’t share with people who don’t live with you – but for family members and roommates, this feature offers a lot of value. If you read YouTube TV reviews from everyday folks, this feature often comes up as a main selling point.

Three consecutive streams – if you do share your subscription, you shouldn’t get cut off from your favorite shows, as three consecutive streams are allowed at once.

YouTube TV Device Details

YouTube TV has just launched, and because of this, YouTube TV Devices are fairly limited at this point. Right now, you can use the following devices to watch YouTube TV:

ALL of the services above are nationwide. At this point, YouTube TV simply can’t compete due to the regional restrictions and limited selection of compatible devices. That said, the YouTube TV channel lineup is fairly competitive, so once the service starts to expand it will become a solid option.

YouTube TV Release Date Details

However, before you get too exited, keep in mind that YouTube TV availability is very limited currently. Only folks living in New York, Los Angeles, the San Francisco Bay Area, Chicago, or Philadelphia will be able to sign up for an use YouTube TV.

YouTube TV likely has rapid expansion plans, but they have not yet made those plans public. Google has hinted at the fact that YouTube TV will eventually be offered nationwide, and also alluded to the fact that more YouTube TV channels are to come. Time will tell.

What is the YouTube TV Price?

The YouTube TV cost is $35 a month for a solid channel lineup of around 40+ channels. A couple add-on channels are also available for an additional fee. There’s no contract, so you pay month to month and can cancel any time you want.

Is There a YouTube TV Free Trial?

The YouTube TV free trial is perhaps the most generous in the streaming industry: a full 2 weeks for free! In addition, there’s currently a promo going to get a free Google Chromecast after you pay for a month of YouTube TV. Not a bad deal!

YouTube TV Review: Bottom Line

Overall, YouTube TV is an exciting new service that we’re anxious to see expand. Unfortunately, the fact that it’s only available in select cities currently is obviously a big downside – but, as soon as YouTube TV availability expands, we see this as being a real contender in the rapidly growing streaming industry. Right now, it doesn’t quite stack up to the likes of DIRECTV NOW or Sling TV – but that may change in the future. For a comparison, check out our guide to the best streaming services.

Ashtyn Evans is a screenwriter and freelance writer from the Midwest. She owns nearly a thousand films on Amazon and holds streaming subscriptions to everything from HBO and Hulu to Showtime and Starz. Email her at ashtynevans@streamingobserver.com.Disclosure: Streaming Observer is supported by readers. Articles may contain referral links. For more information, see the disclosure at the bottom of the page.